CapeCodFD.com

Radio Guide

Cape Cod

Barnstable County, Massachusetts

• Barnstable
  (Covers the 5 fire dists)
  - Barnstable Fire District
  - COMM Fire District
  - Cotuit Fire District
  - Hyannis Fire District
  - West Barnstable Fire District
• Bourne
• Brewster
• Chatham
• Dennis
• Eastham
• Falmouth
• Harwich
• Mashpee
• Orleans
• Otis ANGB
• Provincetown
• Sandwich
• Truro
• Wellfleet
• Yarmouth

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1

CAPE COD COMMUNICATIONS

POLICE COMMUNICATIONS

Cape Cod Police Departments originally operated in the high band. A (4) channel 155. mhz police radio system was once utilized by all Cape Police Departments. Ch.1 operated by the Sheriff's Department was used for General Broadcasts (GBCs), General Info broadcasts (GIs), Be On the Look Outs (BOLOs) and other countywide communications. All departments used FCC callsigns. Each department had assigned car designations (Able, Baker, Charlie, David, Easy, etc...).

As communications increased, some departments acquired their own police channels, while others continued to use Ch.2, 3, and 4. Most of the departments continued to stay on 155. Mhz frequencies.

When 800 Mhz radios became available, some departments switched to 800 Mhz "conventional" frequencies with local repeaters. Others remained on VHF high band.

When the 800 Mhz Trunked Radio system came a couple years ago, all the departments still on the VHF high channels joined the 800 Trunked system. Departments which already had conventional 800 Mhz radio channels stayed on those. The Sheriff's Department also uses the 800 trunked system and continues to issue broadcasts on the new 800 mhz trunking Channel 1.

Today, all Cape Police Departments are on 800 mhz, some trunked and some conventional.

TRUNKED RADIO SYSTEM

A few years ago, the Massachusetts State Police radio system upgrade to 800 mhz trunking began. Cape Fire and Police Departments worked out arrangements to join with the State Police Trunking System. The result has been a considerable change in Cape Cod communications. While not yet 100% completed, the system has been utilized quite reliably now for over (2) years.

The "Trunked Radio System" is someone complex to understand and explain, but basically it is a Motorola Type II system. It presently utilizes a bank of (15) 800 mhz frequencies. Within these frequencies is a "data" channel which allows user radios to track communications by user groups known as "Talk Groups." The system utilizes several repeater sites on the Cape. All radios must reach the repeater site to transmit. A very sophisticated computer controls the whole system. These frequencies are shared by all Cape Cod Fire Departments, most Police Departments, the State Police, Environmental Police, and perhaps more.

855.2125

Barnstable Police Department
Protects Barnstable, COMM, Cotuit,
Hyannis, West Barnstable fire districts
(KCA 374)

Conventional 800 (38096)